Remains of CIA Officers Killed in Afghanistan Return to U.S.

The remains of seven CIA officers killed in a homicide bomb blast in Afghanistan last week were flown to Dover Air Force base in Delaware on Monday, Fox News has learned.

The CIA employees — four officers and three contract security guards — died Wednesday when a man entered the agency's base in Khost, Afghanistan, and detonated an explosive.

The blast also killed a Jordanian intelligence officer, Ali bin Zaid, according to a former U.S. intelligence official.

“Earlier today, CIA Director Leon Panetta, other agency and national security officials, and friends and family members attended a private, dignified event at Dover Air Force Base to honor and welcome home the seven CIA employees who fell in the line of duty last week in Khost, Afghanistan," CIA spokesman George Little said in a statement sent to Fox News.

"These patriots courageously served their nation. The agency extends its gratitude to the United States military for their unwavering support since the attack, including their assistance at Dover,” Little said.

The bombing marked the second-largest single-day loss in the agency's history.

A former senior intelligence official confirmed Monday that the bomber was a Jordanian doctor recruited by Jordanian intelligence to support U.S. efforts against Al Qaeda.

The former official confirmed in an NBC News report Monday that the bomber was Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a 36-year old doctor from Zarqa, Jordan. He was arrested over a year ago by Jordanian intelligence and was thought to have been flipped to support U.S. and Jordanian efforts against Al Qaeda.

Gen. James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also attended Monday's ceremony at Dover Air Force base.

"Relentless effort and aggressive, successful counterterrorism operations will avenge the Khost attack," a senior intelligence official told Fox News on Monday. "Some very bad people will eventually have a very bad day."

Fox News' Justin Fishel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.